More ‘sin bin’ trials for women’s leagues in Tier 5 and below

The FA has this week announced that select trials of temporary dismissals will continue during the forthcoming campaign, before becoming mandatory for all Tier 5 leagues and below from the 2019-20 season.

The scheme was originally conceived following a decision by the International Football Association Board [IFAB] that gave national associations the ability to implement temporary dismissals from 2017-18 at the grassroots level of the game.

While given discretion whether to use the scheme for all cautions or selected cautions, The FA chose to focus on matters of dissent (which amounted to 25 per cent of all cautions during the 2016-17 season).

Thirty-one leagues from across the country at Step 7 and below of the men’s national league system and Tier 5 and below of the women’s pyramid took part and resulted in the following:

25 leagues showed an overall reduction in dissent

38 per cent reduction in dissent across all leagues

72 per cent of players wanted to continue with the scheme

77 per cent of managers and/or coaches wanted to continue with the scheme

84 per cent of referees wanted to continue with the scheme.

In 2018-19, all 31 leagues will continue to use temporary dismissals and will be joined by 61 other leagues across 16 counties that successfully applied to participate this coming season.

In addition, County FAs have been given the opportunity to use the scheme in relevant County Cups, including both male and female competitions.

From 2019-20, all leagues at Step 7 and below in the men’s game will adopt temporary dismissals, as well as Tier 5 and below of the women’s pyramid, which is the women’s regional league premier divisions.

“While the general fall in dissent across the leagues involved has been fantastic to see, it is the collective sentiment towards the scheme and desire to continue with it that have been particularly encouraging.”

3 Comments

Can’t see this working in the women’s game as the refs barely pull anyone up for cautionable offences. The general attitude is that the girls don’t mean it/can’t help it etc. The game has laws and they should be applied regardless of gender. There are some girls who set out to seriously hurt opposition and get away with it every week!